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Soldiers approach a Chinook aircraft in the Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand Province, Afghanistan as efforts continued to ease the plight of tens of thousands of Yazidis trapped in searing heat on a mountain by Islamic State (IS) forces

MILITARY EXPERTS CALL FOR UK ACTION

David Cameron faced further pressure to consider military intervention to prevent genocide in Iraq as the Government stepped up the armed forces' involvement in the humanitarian relief effort.

A "small number" of RAF Chinook helicopters is being sent to the region to increase the options available as efforts continued to ease the plight of tens of thousands of Yazidis trapped in searing heat on a mountain by Islamic State (IS) forces.

The Government has already sent RAF Tornado jets equipped with sophisticated surveillance equipment to the region to help gather intelligence about the situation on Mount Sinjar and C-130 transport planes have been involved in air drops of water and other supplies for the desperate Yazidis.

WILLIAMS OUR 'GENEROUS, GENTLE' DAD

The children of actor Robin Williams have paid tribute to their father after he was found hanged in his bedroom at his California home.

The Mrs Doubtfire star was discovered by his personal assistant on Monday morning after he failed to answer his door.

Williams, 63, was last seen alive by his wife, Susan Schneider, at around 10.30pm on Sunday before she went to bed, Lieutenant Keith Boyd, Marin County's assistant chief deputy coroner, said.

NEW DATA ON EASTERN EUROPE MIGRANTS

Further figures showing the numbers of Romanians and Bulgarians who have taken up employment in Britain since access restrictions to the labour market were lifted at the turn of the year will be published today.

Labour market data, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), will show how many citizens of the eastern European countries were employed in the UK between April and June this year.

The previous batch of data appeared to suggest a predicted surge in Romanians and Bulgarians arriving in Britain had not transpired.

868,000 YOUNGSTERS OUT OF WORK

A full-blown economic recovery will not solve the UK's structural youth unemployment problem, according to a new report.

Think-tank IPPR said despite steady falls in the jobless total, even among younger people, there are still 868,000 out-of-work 16 to 24-year-olds.

Around 700,000 workless young people have never had a job, said the report, published ahead of the latest unemployment figures.

HUNT FOR RATES CLUE IN BANK REPORT

The Bank of England will publish its latest outlook for the UK economy today, with its forecasts likely to be seized on for any signs that interest rates might rise by the end of this year.

Britain's recovery to pre-recession levels after six years in the doldrums has driven expectations of a hike, which were intensified by remarks from Bank governor Mark Carney in June.

Mr Carney said in his Mansion House speech that the first hike from the historic low of 0.5% could come sooner than markets were expecting at the time.

HEADS TO OFFER 'ALTERNATIVE TABLES'

Headteachers are to publish their own alternative league tables which they say will give parents more information about schools than data published by the Government.

The rival rankings, which will focus on secondary schools to begin with, are expected to cover GCSE results as well as details on extra-curricular activities such as music and sport, the curriculum and other measures like class sizes and subjects.

School leaders said they believe that the new tables will become the established, independent way of publishing data that bypasses politicians and government.

HOLLYWOOD LEGEND LAUREN BACALL DIES

Lauren Bacall, the award-winning actress and Humphrey Bogart's partner off and on screen, has died at 89.

Robbert JF de Klerk, managing partner of the Humphrey Bogart Estate, said Bacall died yesterday at her home in New York. A family member told entertainment website TMZ that the actress had a massive stroke.

Her films included How To Marry A Millionaire, The Mirror Has Two Faces, The Big Sleep and Designing Woman, but one of her biggest was with Bogart - Key Largo, in 1948.

INQUEST INTO KABUL DEATH RESUMES

An inquest is to resume today into the death of a Labour MEP candidate who was killed in a suicide bomb and gun attack in Afghanistan.

Dhamender Singh Phangurha, known as Del Singh, died in the attack on a restaurant in Kabul on January 17 which killed 21 people including senior UN officials, Afghan dignitaries and restaurant staff.

Simon Chase, a former British soldier from Limavady, Co Londonderry, was also killed.

'SPECIAL MEASURES' CALL OVER TRUST

One of the largest hospital trusts in England should be put into a failure regime, inspectors said after they identified a series of problems at the organisation.

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust should be put into special measures, the Care Quality Commission has recommended.

The trust, which serves a population of more than 750,000 across five different hospitals, was rated "inadequate" by inspectors.

HARRY TO ATTEND TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT

Prince Harry will mark the latest milestone in the run-up to his inaugural Invictus Games next month as he attends the announcement of Britain's team in the sporting spectacular today.

Harry will attend the announcement of more than 100 injured servicemen and women selected to represent the British Armed Forces team at the event next month.

The 100-plus strong team announced today in London will take on hundreds of competitors from 14 nations in the games, which will see injured servicemen and women from across the globe compete in the capital in a Paralympic-style competition.